Alan Ming-ta Wu

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Alan Wu
Born1938 or 1939
Tainan, Taiwan
Died(1981-02-23)February 23, 1981 (aged 42)
Toronto, Canada
NationalityTaiwanese American
EducationNational Taiwan University (MD)
University of Toronto (PhD)
Known forT cell research
SpouseGillian Edwards
Children2, including Tim
Scientific career
FieldsMolecular biology
Immunology
InstitutionsUniversity of Toronto
National Institutes of Health
University of California, Berkeley
Thesis Cytological Studies of Potential of Hemopoietic Stem Cells for Differentiation  (1968)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese吳明達
Hanyu PinyinWú Míngdá
Wade–GilesWu2 Ming2-ta2

Alan Ming-ta Wu (1938/1938–1981) was a Taiwanese-American molecular biologist and immunologist who developed techniques to grow hematopoietic stem cells in cell culture.

Early life and education[edit]

Wu was born in Tainan, Taiwan, and attended Chang Jung Senior High School [zh] in Tainan.[1] He obtained his medical degree from National Taiwan University Medical School and served for two years as a medical officer in the Republic of China Army.[2][1][3]

Research[edit]

Wu conducted research for his PhD in medical biophysics with Till & McCulloch at the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto.[4] Wu's PhD work demonstrated the relation between bone marrow and T cells.[5][6] He was the first to grow stem cells (then called colony forming cells) in cell culture.[7] This allowed Wu to transplant a single cell that generated the entire hematopoietic system in a mouse.[4]

Following his PhD, Wu joined Harrison Echols' lab in the US, performing pioneering work on the regulation of viral genes. They probed the mechanism whereby the cI protein of phage λ represses expression of viral genes through interactions with host RNA polymerase.[8][9]

In 1971, Wu obtained a position as Senior Scientist at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.[4] He collaborated with Bob Gallo on studying how oncogenic viruses replicate, which included studies of reverse transcriptase.[10][11] Wu applied this knowledge to probe the effects of drugs on mouse tumours induced by oncogenic viruses.[12][13] He became director of molecular biology at cancer research firm Litton Bionetics Inc.[2][14]

Wu returned to Toronto in 1976 to take up a position as an Associate Professor of Anatomy.[2] His lab developed techniques for the long-term culture of human T cell progenitors, enabling detailed analysis of T cell biology.[15][16]

The Institute of Medical Sciences at University of Toronto presents their annual Alan Wu Poster Prize to the most outstanding poster presentations at IMS Scientific Day. This award in honour of Wu notes that "He was well recognized for his research excellence, his passion for science and his strong belief in the value of translational medicine."[17]

Personal details[edit]

Wu married Gillian Edwards, a fellow graduate student. They have two sons, Tim Wu and David Wu.[2]

Wu was active in the Taiwan independence movement.[1][3]

Wu was an avid runner, completing ten marathons in the five years before his death.[4]

Wu died from a brain tumour in 1981.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Taiwan friends remember father of Biden appointee - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2021-03-16. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Alan Ming-ta Wu Researcher recognized internationally". The Globe and Mail. February 24, 1981. p. 11 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ a b Chen, David W. (2014-09-01). "Inspired by His Father's Activism, Tim Wu Is Running for Lieutenant Governor as an Outsider". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  4. ^ a b c d Shorter, Edward (2013). Partnership for excellence : medicine at the University of Toronto and academic hospitals. Toronto [Ontario]. p. 329. ISBN 978-1-4426-6403-6. OCLC 863054377. Archived from the original on 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-23.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Wu, A. M.; Till, J. E.; Siminovitch, L.; McCulloch, E. A. (April 1967). "A cytological study of the capacity for differentiation of normal hemopoietic colony-forming cells". Journal of Cellular Physiology. 69 (2): 177–184. doi:10.1002/jcp.1040690208. ISSN 0021-9541. PMID 6033948. S2CID 10062109. Archived from the original on 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  6. ^ Wu, A. M.; Till, J. E.; Siminovitch, L.; McCulloch, E. A. (1968-03-01). "Cytological Evidence for a Relationship Between Normal Hematopoietic Colony-Forming Cells and Cells of the Lymphoid System". Journal of Experimental Medicine. 127 (3): 455–464. doi:10.1084/jem.127.3.455. ISSN 1540-9538. PMC 2138458. PMID 5636553. Archived from the original on 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  7. ^ Wu, A M; Siminovitch, L; Till, J E; McCulloch, E A (April 1968). "Evidence for a relationship between mouse hemopoietic stem cells and cells forming colonies in culture". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 59 (4): 1209–1215. Bibcode:1968PNAS...59.1209W. doi:10.1073/pnas.59.4.1209. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 224853. PMID 5240024.
  8. ^ Wu, A.M.; Ghosh, S.; Echols, H. (June 1972). "Repression by the cI protein of phage λ: Interaction with RNA polymerase". Journal of Molecular Biology. 67 (3): 423–432. doi:10.1016/0022-2836(72)90460-3. PMID 5045306. Archived from the original on 2018-06-11. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  9. ^ Wu, A.M.; Ghosh, S.; Echols, H.; Spiegelman, W.G. (June 1972). "Repression by the cI protein of phage λ: in vitro inhibition of RNA synthesis". Journal of Molecular Biology. 67 (3): 407–421. doi:10.1016/0022-2836(72)90459-7. PMID 5045305. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  10. ^ Wu, A. M.; Gallo, R. C. (1974). "Life cycle of RNA oncogenic viruses". Hamatologie und Bluttransfusion. 14: 148–156. ISSN 0440-0607. PMID 4141317. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  11. ^ Wu, Alan M.; Sarngadharan, M. G.; Gallo, Robert C. (May 1974). "Separation of Ribonuclease H and RNA Directed DNA Polymerase (Reverse Transcriptase) of Murine Type-C RNA Tumor Viruses". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 71 (5): 1871–1876. Bibcode:1974PNAS...71.1871W. doi:10.1073/pnas.71.5.1871. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 388344. PMID 4134616.
  12. ^ Paran, M.; Gallo, R. C.; Richardson, L. S.; Wu, A. M. (August 1973). "Adrenal Corticosteroids Enhance Production of Type-C Virus Induced by 5-Iodo-2′-Deoxyuridine from Cultured Mouse Fibroblasts". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 70 (8): 2391–2395. Bibcode:1973PNAS...70.2391P. doi:10.1073/pnas.70.8.2391. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 433742. PMID 4134726.
  13. ^ Wu, A M; Schultz, A; Gallo, R C (July 1976). "Synthesis of type C virus particles from murine-cultured cells induced by iododeoxyuridine. V. Effect of interferon and its interaction with dexamethasone". Journal of Virology. 19 (1): 108–117. doi:10.1128/jvi.19.1.108-117.1976. ISSN 0022-538X. PMC 354837. PMID 181591.
  14. ^ Liu, W. -T.; Natori, T.; Chang, K. S. S.; Wu, A. M. (September 1977). "Reverse transcriptase of foamy virus: Purification of the enzyme and immunological identification". Archives of Virology. 55 (3): 187–200. doi:10.1007/BF01319905. ISSN 0304-8608. PMID 74244. S2CID 34737578. Archived from the original on 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  15. ^ Wu, A. M. (October 1983). "Regulation of self-renewal of human T lymphocyte colony-forming units (TL-CFUs)". Journal of Cellular Physiology. 117 (1): 101–108. doi:10.1002/jcp.1041170114. ISSN 0021-9541. PMID 6604730. S2CID 20199875. Archived from the original on 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  16. ^ Wu, A. M. (November 1979). "Properties and separation of T lymphocyte growth stimulatory activity (TL-GSA) and of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulatory activity (GM-CSA) produced separately from two human T lymphocyte subpopulations". Journal of Cellular Physiology. 101 (2): 237–250. doi:10.1002/jcp.1041010206. ISSN 0021-9541. PMID 315950. S2CID 38339312. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  17. ^ "Scientific Day Student Awards". ims.utoronto.ca. Archived from the original on 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
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